TWN Poznan News Update No.13
11 December 2008
Published by Third World Network
AWG-LCA Decides to Consider Negotiating Text in June 2009
Poznan, 11 Dec (Meena Raman): A key outcome at the closing session of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which met in Poznan, was the adoption of the decision that there will be a negotiating text for consideration of Parties at its session in June 2009. This conclusion was adopted by the AWG-LCA on the work programme for 2009.
Luiz Machado of Brazil who is the current chair of the AWG-LCA presided over the closing of the fourth session, which was held on 10 December 2008. Michael Zamit Cutajar of Malta takes over as Chair of the AWG-LCA in 2009.
The AWG-LCA is mandated by the Bali meeting to follow up on the Bali Action Plan, whose aim is the full implementation of the commitments in the Convention, and which was discussed under the five issues of “shared vision”, mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology.
The four contact groups under the AWG-LCA on shared vision, mitigation, adaptation and delivering on technology and financing held meetings in Poznan. (See previous TWN Poznan updates for details).
The ideas and proposals from member states and observer organisations and from the contact groups and workshops were compiled by the Chair of the AWG-LCA into an “Assembly Document”, a revised version of which was issued on 10 December.
At its final session, the AWG-LCA adopted the draft Chair’s Conclusions on “Work programme for 2009”. It said the assembly document enables Parties to discern areas of convergence and divergence in their views and this will help advance the negotiations in 2009.
The adopted decision said the AWG-LCA invited its Chair “to prepare, under his own responsibility, the following documents to facilitate negotiations among Parties, building upon the ideas and proposals of Parties and upon the assembly document and taking into account of the organisation of work under the AWG-LCA:
(a) a document for consideration at its fifth session, taking into account further submissions received from Parties by 6th February 2009, that would further focus the negotiating process on the fulfilment of the Bali Action Plan and on the components of the agreed outcome to be adopted by the Conference of Parties at its fifteenth session (in Copenhagen), describing areas of convergence in the ideas and proposals of Parties, exploring options for dealing with areas of divergence and identifying any gaps that might need to be filled in reaching an agreed outcome;
(b) a negotiating text for consideration at its sixth session in June 2009, taking account of the proceedings of the AWG-LCA at its fifth session and of further submissions received from Parties by 24 April 2009.”
According to the conclusions reached, “these documents shall encompass all aspects of the Bali Action Plan in a balanced manner; not attribute ideas and proposals to their sources; be drafted in language that does not prejudge the form of the agreed outcome; and be made available by the secretariat in a timely manner, preferably in two weeks in advance of the sessions to which they are submitted.”
The AWG-LCA also “requested its Chair to keep the need for additional meeting time in 2009 under review in consultation with Parties, the Bureau of the Conference of Parties and the Executive Secretary, and to propose any action that might need to be taken by the AWG-LCA in a manner that would ensure the effective participation of all Parties, in particular developing country Parties.”